Elon Musk on Sunita Williams’ Return: ‘I See a Rocket, I See Ways It Could Fail’
In an interview, Elon Musk spoke about the risks of rocket missions, highlighting the risks of launch and re-entry. He welcomed the return of astronauts from the ISS on SpaceX and announced the Starship rocket, which will facilitate multi-planetary exploration.
Florida, March 19, 2025 — Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk revealed the ever-present dangers of space travel in an open discussion with American television host Sean Hannity, just hours after NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her crew safely landed on Earth.
Musk, who has a grand vision for space travel, shared his thought process during rocket launches. “When I look at a rocket, I see a list of all the things that could go wrong and potentially fail first stage failure, second stage failure, stage separation failure, engine failure,” Musk said to Hannity. “Even when it‘s returning, it‘s like a burning meteor. If something goes wrong with the heat shield, the entire craft could break apart.”
Successful Return After Spending 286 Days in Space
His comments were made hours after Williams and crewmate Butch Wilmore successfully finished their nine-month stint aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The pair, together with two other space travelers, safely returned on a SpaceX capsule that undocked from the ISS on Tuesday and landed off the coast of Florida early Wednesday morning.
The mission spent a staggering 286 days in orbit, showcasing not only human stamina but also technological finesse necessary to carry out such intricate travels.
Starship: The Next Frontier
Musk also previewed upcoming goals, declaring the highly expected launch of SpaceX‘s Starship rocket in the near future. Referring to it as a “revolutionary rocket,” he added, “Starship is the first rocket that might make us multi-planetary for the first time in Earth history.”
As Williams‘ safe return to Earth reminds the world of the risks and victories of space travel, Musk‘s vision keeps expanding the horizons reaching for not only Earth‘s orbit, but life elsewhere.
